Clothes-drier



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. MARTIN'AND THOMAS HEAD, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOTH ES-D RIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.316,987, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed December 19, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN D. MARTIN and THOMAS HEAD, both citizens of the United States, and residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Briers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to driers in which the clothes are hung upon lines to be dried by the air and sun, and to means of holding such lines extended for use, and of winding up and protecting the same when not inuse.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan, of our invention when in position to be used; Fig. 3, a vertical crosssection of the box, cylinder, roller with lines wound on the roller, and the roller hung in a hook; Fig. than elevation of the end of the box which contains the cylinder, also showing the ratchet,pawl,and crank; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the upper part of one of the posts and the end of the rail bracket and roller shown at the left of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 6,a crosssection of the cylinder or roller on one of the clothes-lines.

A is a box having a hinged cover, A, which is slanting to shed the rain, and which preferably projects back of the box to keep the rain out of the box, and projects in front of the box far enough to cover the roller B when the drier is not in use. Within the box is a cylinder, 0, the journals of which turn in holes in the ends of the box.

To one end of the shaft D of the cylinder 0 is secured the crank E, and also the ratchet F, with which the pawl G, pivoted to the end of the boxA, engages. The clothes-lines H, being of equal length, are fastened each by one end to the cylinder (3 at suitable intervals, the other ends of said lines being fastened to a round stick or roller, B. The roller is provided with two or more annular grooves, I,

and there are hooks J secured to the front of the box A, the number of hooks being equal to the number of grooves in the roller, and in these hooks the roller is supported when not in use, the hooks entering said grooves, and being preferably of spring metal and of such shape and size as to close in partly above the roller, as shown in Fig. 3. The box A is secured to a shelf, A on a fence, A or on the side of a building, or, if necessary,is supported upon posts, the lines being wound ment with the ratchet,and the roller B is carriedfrom the hooks J to and placed in the hooks J, thereby unwinding the lines from the cylinder O, and extending them across the clothesyard. After this has been done the pawl is turned against the ratchet, and the crank is turned until the lines are drawn sufficiently taut, the pawl preventing the cylinder from turning back and slackening the ropes. \Vet clothes are then hung upon the lines in the usual manner. After the clothes are dried and removed from the lines the roller is lifted out of the hooks and turned by the hands to wind the lines upon it and thus keep them off from the ground, and. the roller is placed in the hooks on the box. The crank is then turned to wind the lines from the roller upon the cylinder.

By the use of the devices above described the space above which the lines are extended is left unobstructed when the lines are not in use, and the lines are protected from th weather when not in use.

The lines are fastened to the roller B and the cylinder 0, as shown in Fig. 6, by passing them through holes in said roller and cylinder and knotting them, or in any other suitable manner.

We claim as our invention- The combination of the box provided with holes in the front thereo,and withaslanting and projecting cover, the cylinder provided with a ratchet and with a crank and supported in said box, spring-hooks secured to the front of said box below said cover, the roller having annular grooves adapted to receive said hooks, cords each attached at one end to said cylinder and at the other end to said roller, and a pawl pivoted on said box and engaging with said ratchet, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN D. MARTIN.

THOMAS HEAD. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. THOMPSON, ALBERT M. MooRE. 

